Early-stage stomach cancer can be a silent threat, often causing few or no symptoms until the disease has grown into advanced stages and is more difficult to treat. However, doctors are diagnosing (and treating) stomach cancer earlier and more often than ever, thanks in large part to advanced endoscopic tools. An endoscope is a flexible tube with a light and camera attached to it.
Stomach cancer is cancer that starts anywhere inside the stomach or the stomach wall. It’s also called gastric cancer. Gastric cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the lining of the stomach. Every cancer presents — and acts — differently. If you’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer, your doctor can help you determine which treatment approach is best for you. If you’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer, your doctor can help you determine which treatment approach is best for you.
Stages of stomach cancer
Stomach cancer develops through 5 stages:
- Stage 0 also known as early stage (early stage). At this stage, new cancer cells are located in the lining of the stomach.
- Stage 1: Cancer cells have penetrated the second layer of the stomach, but still have no obvious symptoms and have not spread to other organs.
- Stage 2: When moving to stage 2, the cancer cells have moved through the mucosa and began to appear a few more obvious manifestations: abdominal pain, nausea ....
- Stage 3: Cancer cells have begun to spread to other organs in the body.
- Stage 4: The final stage of stomach cancer. By now the cancer cells have spread throughout the body and there is almost no chance of cure.
Early stage (or early) stomach cancer is a period when new cancer cells are still in the submucosa. Typically, the tumor size during this period is usually very small, only a few millimeters to 7cm, so does not affect the digestive activity of the stomach. So if you want to detect stomach cancer early stage need to carry out screening programs for cancer.
Signs to watch for:
According to expert, potential warning signs of stomach cancer include:
- You unexpectedly lose weight and your appetite plummets. People no longer feel hungry and ultimately start losing weight without trying. That’s probably the most concerning symptom.
- You’re seriously fatigued. This could be from a slow blood loss which, coupled with unexpected weight loss, can be a sign of cancer. Blood loss can also lead to anemia, a low red blood cell count, that’s likely the source of your exhaustion.
- You have blood in your stool or vomit. This is much less common, but it can happen if you’re losing a lot of blood.
- You feel full, even after you’ve only eaten a small amount.
- Your bowel habits have changed. Maybe you’re experiencing recurrent bouts of diarrhea or constipation that are out of the ordinary.
- Gastrointestinal symptoms that don’t go away. For example, you’ve had nausea or abdominal discomfort that lasts for more than a couple days.
- You have GI symptoms that you haven’t experienced before. Reflux — when the contents of your stomach come back up into your esophagus — is a good example.
“These are all signs that you should probably go see your primary care doctor to see if you warrant further testing,” expert advises. Most of the time, these symptoms are caused by something else, but it’s best to get them checked out so that if you do need treatment, you can get it as soon as possible.
Signs of early stage stomach cancer
Early stomach cancer symptoms are typically so unremarkable that they go completely unnoticed. Most cases are detected when cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body. In the case of patients with a history of stomach-related diseases, it is prudent to check the disease periodically, to avoid the situation of bad transformation into cancer. 
Figure 1. Unusual weight loss - A warning sign of the risk of stomach cancer
Basically, the symptoms of stomach cancer are similar to other stomach conditions, so patients often have subjective psychology, only go to the doctor when the disease is severe.
How to detect stomach cancer early
For the best detection of stomach cancer, it is best to screen for esophageal - stomach cancer.
Screening is performed for patients without clinical symptoms. In some developed countries like Japan, where stomach cancer is a common disease, extensive screening can help detect stomach cancer early.
Your doctor will order you to do a number of tests to check such as: gastroscopy, suspected lesion biopsy, tumor marker test ...
1. Diagnosis tests
Upper endoscopy: A procedure to look inside the esophagus, stomach, and duodenum (first part of the small intestine) to check for abnormal areas. An endoscope (a thin, lighted tube) is passed through the mouth and down the throat into the esophagus.
2. Biopsy
The removal of cells or tissues so they can be viewed under a microscope to check for signs of cancer. A biopsy of the stomach is usually done during the endoscopy.
The sample of tissue may be checked to measure how many HER2 genes there are and how much HER2 protein is being made. If there are more HER2 genes or higher levels of HER2 protein than normal, the cancer is called HER2 positive. HER2-positive gastric cancer may be treated with a monoclonal antibody that targets the HER2 protein.
The sample of tissue may also be checked for Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection.
Where to get screened?
City International Hospital offers a full range of standard endoscopic diagnostic and therapeutic procedures carried out throughout the hospital for inpatients and outpatients.
Endoscopy Department is fully equipped with advanced facilities for endoscopic diagnostics and sedative endoscopic procedures. With modern sedation and careful monitoring the great majority of patients will feel comfortable during the procedure. CIH Endoscopy department is committed to protecting the privacy, comfort and safety of our patients within our practice
- Automatic endoscope reprocessor (AER) for low temperature washing and high level disinfection of flexible endoscopes that meets international standard.
- Biopsy and other equipment are sterilized by EO (ETHYLENE OXIDE) and plasma to prevent cross-contamination.
- Endoscopy, Before the Endoscopy /After the endoscopy, all laundry machinery is separate from patient care areas
- Modern endoscopy systems that obtain high image quality to help physicians can see exactly what's going on inside a patient's body
- Carbon dioxide is used in laparoscopy reduces basal ileus.
- Nurse Call System in all patient rooms and bathrooms to enable fast and direct hospital communication, transform healthcare workflows, and drive efficiencies – to get the right care, to the right patient, at the right time.
Screening tests can help identify cancers at an early and potentially curable stage and City International Hospital has put together special screening packages to help you detect the disease early.
Colorectal Cancer and/or Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Screening Package
| Test name |
Colorectal Cancer Screening |
Stomach (Gastric) Cancer Screening |
| Initiative GI consultation - Specialist Grade 4 | x | x |
|
Gastroscopy under sedation |
x | |
|
Colonoscopy under sedation |
x | |
|
Package Price (VND) |
3,600,000 | 4,400,000 |
Prices exclude the cost of a Biopsy
Check out our different Screening Packages for different needs
Figure 2. Upper endoscopy. A thin, lighted tube is inserted through the mouth to look for abnormal areas in the esophagus, stomach, and first part of the small intestine.
Figure 3. At CIH, gastric cancer screening is done through gastroscopy with NBI (Narrow Banding Imaging), which results in a clearer picture of mucosal pathology analysis. with regular endoscopy.
Early-Stage Stomach Cancer Treatments
Every cancer presents — and acts — differently. If you’ve been diagnosed with stomach cancer, your doctor can help you determine which treatment approach is best for you. Your treatment depends on where your cancer is in the stomach, how big it is, whether it has spread anywhere else in your body and your general health. A team of doctors and other professionals discuss the best treatment and care for you.
The outcome of treatment depends on many factors, of which the early diagnosis factor is the most important. If diagnosed early when the lesion has not invaded through the muscle layer of the stomach wall, the extra life time after surgery is over 80 - 90%, if the diagnosis is late when the lesion has passed through the muscle layer and spreads out in the barren, the extra life time after 5 years of surgery is only about 10-15%.
In addition to the treatment prescribed by a doctor, we need to build a healthy lifestyle, scientific diet to limit the progression of stomach cancer.
Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:
City International Hospital
- Address: No. 3, 17A Street, Binh Tri Dong B Ward, Binh Tan Dist. (Next to AEON Mall Binh Tan). Ho Chi Minh City.
- Operator: (+8428) 6280 3333, ext. 0
- 24/7 Emergency: (+8428) 6290 1155
- Website: https://cih.com.vn/en/
- Fan page: https://www.facebook.com/BenhVienQuocTeCity/
- Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
General disclaimer
Always consult your doctor regarding any concern about your health. Your doctor will be in the best position to give the appropriate medical advice. For suspected undesirable drug reaction and seek medical attention immediately.